Piping Up

Put this in your pipe and smoke it: Cigars aren't the only
flame in town for tobacco enthusiasts. Perhaps as a way to sneak
tweed back into fashion, folks are beginning to take a greater
interest in pipes these days. Indeed, if the smoke signals are to
be believed, pipes are downright trendy.

Not that it's all that easy to pinpoint the number of pipe
smokers. According to 1994 figures--the most recent available--from
the Pipe Tobacco Council, roughly 3 million smokers are in the
pipeline. Pipe smokers tend to be married white males with some
college background. And even though approximately half the pipe
smokers are 46-plus years old, there's reason to suspect the
current cachet of cigars could puff up the popularity of pipes
among younger folks.

"As more young professionals go into tobacco shops to
purchase cigars, they're being exposed to aromas of pipe
tobacco," says the Pipe Tobacco Council's Norman
Sharp.

One potential fire-stopper: Pipes aren't easy to smoke.
"You have to break in the pipe," says Sharp. "You
have to pack it. And then you have to light it a couple times
before it takes."

Taking this into account, it's no surprise to learn pipe
smokers are generally a methodical bunch. As for wearing
tweed--well, that's entirely optional.

Dirty Work

In case you hadn't noticed, there's a war going on--a
germ war, to be precise. On the offense: legions of nasty germs
capable of triggering all sorts of nasty illnesses. On the defense:
legions of anxious consumers looking to guard against the
aforementioned germs and illnesses. With a peaceful resolution
nowhere in sight, consumers are stockpiling as much ammunition as
they can in the form of antibacterial products, disinfectants and
the like.

"People are starting to be more and more afraid of
germs," observes Susan Small-Weil, consumer behavior
psychologist with The Seiden Group, a New York City advertising and
marketing consulting firm. "Interest in antibacterial products
is at an all-time high."

Pity the poor germs: With every Ebola virus scare, with every
report of tuberculosis, and with every threat of flesh-eating
bacteria, consumers are snapping up more antibacterial lotions,
dishwashing liquid and sponges. Even some children's toys are
now being outfitted with antibacterial protection. And for the
unwashed masses (an estimated one-third of Americans don't wash
their hands after using public restrooms!), there are even kits to
teach us how to properly cleanse our hands.

But how long will businesses clean up on this germ hysteria?
Surmises Small-Weil, "As long as media and advertising
attention is [paid to germs], people will be concerned and use the
[antibacterial] products."

Bugged!

Is the world going buggy? Although it was only last month that
we wrote of the flight of the bumblebee in the gift industry,
we're already picking up another winged creature on our radar
screen. Bees are still the buzz, but keep your eyes peeled for
ladybugs.

Fabled to be good luck, ladybugs seem a natural next step for
gift retailers hoping to capitalize on a fascination with insects.
Ladybugs are often depicted with a certain charm--sort of noncreepy
crawlers, if you will. And we hate to say it, but it's true:
Cuteness doesn't hurt when trying to appeal to bug-eyed
consumers.

If floral and nature themes continue to bloom in the gift
industry, don't be surprised to see other insects winging their
way into the spotlight.

Habit Forming

God only knows what will next light the spiritual gifts market
on fire, but we'd like to offer up a guess: nun-adorned
products. It's not a wild guess, judging by the surprising
success of one Los Angeles design and gift retailer.

"They've been so strong, I don't know if we can
ever stop selling them now," exclaims Elizabeth Cashour of the
nun candles and squeaky toys she and partner Steven Saden debuted
at their Zipper store last Christmas. "We may have created a
monster!"

According to Cashour, the hard-to-keep-in-stock nun gifts have
evolved from curiosity items to must-haves among their clientele.
"We've actually had people come in looking specifically
for them," she says.

This could be a trend that's habit forming--or heaven
sent.

All Bark

And now for a real shaggy dog story: As far as the gift industry
is concerned, man's best friends are back in vogue. Sure, cats
are cute--but dogs are the animal attraction of the moment.

Why? Anthony De Masi, editor in chief of the trade publication
Giftware News, points to the increase in male gift
buyers--men theoretically being the more dog-friendly gender--as a
key factor propelling the sales of dog figurines, T-shirts and
Christmas ornaments. Then, too, the nation's conservative
political bent might also play a paw--er, part--in the trend toward
dogs.

"Dogs are a conservative animal; cats are a liberal
animal," claims De Masi. "It's amazing--but it's
true. The fact that Clinton has a cat is no accident."

So it's out with Socks and in with Snoopy? You got it. But
lest you bark up the wrong tree, remember that dog lovers tend to
shop with specific breeds in mind--and puppies are especially
welcomed. What's more, when laying out a welcome mat for
dog-loving consumers, take heed of the growing demand for products
and services that cater to the pampered pooch. Observes De Masi,
"Dog owners aren't thinking twice about buying really good
dinnerware for their dogs."

Full Circle

Is America ready for a redesigned bagel? That's what
Boston-based SJR Foods Inc.'s Larry Baras is hoping as he works
to widen distribution of his appropriately named UnHoley
Bagels--holeless bagels with the cream cheese already inside
them.

"It was not anything close to a stroke of genius--it was a
stroke of being a complete klutz," says Baras, who dreamed up
the idea for UnHoley Bagels after one too many messy attempts to
apply cream cheese to bagels while driving. "I said, `There
has to be a better way.' " That better way is now being
sold through convenience stores and grocers primarily in the
Eastern region of the country. "It's becoming the bagel of
choice in the freezer section," says Baras, noting 1997 sales
projections of $10 million.

Holeless bagels are not, however, the only delicacy overturning
today's breakfast tables. Despite their image as sugar-laden,
calorie-oozing, guilt-inducing menaces to society, donuts have
reportedly snuck onto the menus of several tony restaurants of
late. The twist? Through exotic ingredients and presentation,
donuts are being transformed into upscale gourmet desserts.

Skeptical? We swear it's the truth--the hole truth.

The Good Life

There's nothing wrong with a taste for the finer things in
life, and scores of consumers are proving it. As if to revolt
against the temperance movement that attempted to turn all
Americans into sprout-eating, early-to-bed/early-to-rise,
never-fail-to-exercise fanatics, a renewed appreciation for luxury
appears to be taking hold. Escargot is in. Cocktails are in. And
caviar--that most pricey of delicacies--is back in as well.

"People are looking for excellence and luxury," says
Mats Engstrom, whose San Francisco-based California Sunshine Fine
Foods Inc. increased its caviar business by 70 percent last year.
"You could eat hamburgers, but then you get into sirloin and
filet mignon. And what do you do when you satisfy your need for
filet mignon? You [choose] caviar and champagne."

To Engstrom's way of thinking, affluent boomers in
particular are the ones realizing their champagne wishes and caviar
dreams. And no, they're not opting for caviar simply for its
taste. "I call caviar a way of life rather than a food,"
says Engstrom. "It's very special."